The seminarian band kept attendees entertained Aug. 9 at Taste of Faith held at Little Rock's Marriott Hotel. Here Patrick Friend (left) and Martin Siebold provide dinner music. Malea Hargett photo

Msgr. Scott Friend, vocations director and vicar general, is credited as one reason why vocations have increased in Arkansas. Malea Hargett photo

Seminarian Stephen Hart shares his vocations story, touching the audience's heart with the importance of his parents in his discernment. Malea Hargett photo

Msgr. Bernard Malone of Little Rock and Sonya Eisenhauer of Hot Springs Village couldn’t resist getting up and dancing to the seminarian band's version of the Beatles’ “Love Me Do”. Malea Hargett photo

Haiti-born seminarian Patrick Saint-Jean delivers a soulful French number. Other international seminarians hail from Mexico and Colombia. Malea Hargett photo

The band brought the house down and the crowd to its feet and into a conga line. Malea Hargett photo

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor addresses the crowd of more than 600, which contributed over $250,000 for seminarian education. Malea Hargett photo

Diocesan seminarians flank Bishop Taylor as they sing their daily night prayer "Salve Regina." Malea Hargett photo

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Vocations are cool again in the Diocese of Little Rock

More than $250,000 raised for seminarians at fifth annual event in Little Rock

Published: August 14, 2014

By Malea Hargett
Editor

Malea Hargett

Seminarian Patrick Friend of Little Rock leads the seminarian band on vocals and guitar while Stephen Gadberry of Wynne adds soul to the band’s performance with his harmonica.

Malea Hargett

Seminarian Patrick Friend of Little Rock leads the seminarian band on vocals and guitar while Stephen Gadberry of Wynne adds soul to the band’s performance with his harmonica.

Taste of Faith by the numbers

1 - Number of seminarians for every 2,300 Catholics in Arkansas

44 - Total number of seminarians in the Diocese of Little Rock

300 - Number of people attending northwest Arkansas Taste of Faith

600 - Number of people attending Little Rock Taste of Faith

$54,731 - Amount donated at the Fayetteville event May 3

$253,500 - Amount donated at the Little Rock event Aug. 9

$2,000,000 - Annual cost to diocese for education, insurance, food, housing and related expenses connected to seminarians

The annual seminarian fundraiser in Little Rock turned into a “pep rally for the Church” when the 12-member seminarian band broke out into songs by the Beatles and The Champs.

An unprecedented amount of enthusiasm came from the 600 people at the Aug. 9 Taste of Faith fundraiser at the Little Rock Marriott. Seminarian Patrick Friend, on guitar, challenged the audience to dance and clap while they played “Love Me Do” by the Beatles and “Tequila” by The Champs. A conga line snaked through the ballroom while vocations director Msgr. Scott Friend danced with his sister-in-law Marie and 90-year-old retired priest Msgr. Bernard Malone showed off his dance moves. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor apologized for not taking part in the excitement because he comes from the most “non-dancing” and “non-musical” family in the country.

The record crowd donated about $253,500 to support the diocese’s 44 seminarians. All donations will help pay for the $2 million annual bill for seminary training and related expenses, such as insurance, housing and food.

Through a video produced by two seminarians and talks by Bishop Taylor, Msgr. Friend and seminarians Stephen Hart of Little Rock and William Burmester of Conway, a case was made that supporting seminarian education is an urgent need in the Diocese of Little Rock.

Msgr. Friend said Catholics should be eager to support the diocesan seminarians because they are all talented, prayerful and hardworking.

The diocese is closing the gap of lower vocations recruitment from 1970 to 2006. From 2000 to 2010, the diocese ordained only nine men, but it is expected that Arkansas could have 47 new priests from 2010 to 2020. With younger priests serving the state, the average age of the presbyterate will drop below 50 years old by 2018, Msgr. Friend said.

Msgr. Friend said “God’s vision of what he wants from us” could be seen when a smaller group of seminarians accompanied seminarian Patrick Saint-Jean of Haiti as he sang in French. In addition to three from the United States, other musicians came from Mexico and Colombia.

Bishop Taylor said, “I don’t know what the secret is (to the vocations increase), but one thing we can point to is Msgr. Friend.”

A similar Taste of Faith event was held May 31 in Fayetteville for 300 people. It raised $54,731.16.